Spending Christmas the “Guyanese Way”

Dec 30, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

And so, this was Christmas 2025, Guyana style. Was it merry with good tidings or miserable with depression and disagreeable? It was certainly an old-fashioned Christmas in a wet and rainy Guyana! Christmas 2025 was certainly a time the PPP/C Government, many business firms, organisations and individuals showed their generosity and showered children with lots of toys.

Led by a spirited President who for the past six years have distributed the good tidings of Yuletide, the many institutions and personnel have lived up to their humane expectations in serving the less fortunate, the needy, the senior citizens and those vulnerable to be less privileged.

The Leonora Police Station Management Committee was not to be left out. In conjunction with the Police from the Leonora Police Station, together, they distributed food hampers to members of all the Hindu Temples, the Christian Churches and the Muslim Mosque in Leonora and a few employees from the Leonora Police Station.

It was gratifying to witness, read and even participate in the many events which included sharing a meal, giving gifts of food items and cash, and hosting parties to provide light entertainment. With the help of the Men on Mission (MOM), The First Lady and the President were instrumental in ensuring that some families even received new houses to enjoy the season of homely togetherness.

Peace, joy and happiness were not mere words offering lip communication to pacify the ears of listeners or the errands of the Wise Men. They were a state of mind translated into effective practicality which transformed into physical reality! To see the smiles on the faces of the advanced generation and those of the young ones, that proved to be a cornerstone that Guyanese still care about when they share.

Guyana is still the hospitable place where love, compassion and sacrifice are motivating factors which confirm that Guyanese are self-reliant, innovative and supportive. From a history of migrating ancestors who have blessed their kith and kins with an inheritance of simplicity and modesty, patience and tolerance, and above all, dedication and devotion, all races have learnt not to ignore the ultimate message of any religious holiday.

Regardless of what spiritual denomination Guyanese subscribe to or what political affiliation Guyanese ascribe to, faith in a common belief is the molding element which glues them in unity. It is like sportsmanship in cricket where you cross the boundary to enjoy the game itself. There is no border to separate Guyanese when the season of goodwill comes around.

A hug and shaking hands are normal expectations which flow with a natural reciprocation. Going hand in hand is the exchange of a piece of one’s production of the ceremonial black cake, fruit or sponge cake. It’s traditional to “drop in” without an invite to have a drink and a bite. This “Guyanese thing” is, luckily, not a passing phase but one, reputedly repetitious and something that Guyanese endorsed as “shared value.”

As the “time goes by,” Christmas was always “high maintenance” but it remains a period when Guyanese don’t tighten their belts but loosen their pockets and open their purses. The treasures of nostalgia always playback memories and allow one to reminisce from the past. Feeding from the fountain overflowing with emotions always captivates the conviction of spending, not necessarily being covertly spendthrift but not overtly being a miser.

A long time ago in Guyana, even the presence of a Grinch, did not dictate the prevalence of a miserly or miserable celebration of the birth of Christ. The story of a “Father Christmas” bringing gifts to those children who had been “a good boy or girl,” always resonated with an old bearded man, dressed in red and white, flying on a sleigh and being pulled by Rudolph and a pack of reindeer!

There was a culture of the shops, stores and supermarkets in the towns in all the counties, “dressed to kill” to reflect the season for the wintry period known overseas to be cold and glowing with white snow, bright, fairy lights, balloons, plastic flowers and shiny decorations. Bookers, Fogarty’s and Bettencourt were famous for having long lines with children and their parents waiting to see “Santa Clause,” hidden in a make-believe winter land. Of course, you had to buy a ticket, and, based on the price you paid, the children would receive a gift to the value.

The children who “behave themselves,” either by being a good child at home, doing well at school or being positively productive and helpful, would be rewarded to see the “Big Guy.” For those visiting the market areas, the smell of “ice apples” would fill their nostrils with a foreign aroma synonymous with the Christmas holidays. The sight of attractive toys would send an appealing and at times, appalling cry, from the gleaming eyes of children, glued to the fantasy of childhood days.

The masquerade bands did play havoc once in Guyana. There was the terrible “bullcow,” dancing menacingly as if it was advancing towards you in an attacking manner. The “long lady” was a sight to question her height. The “fiddlers” dancing to the robust sound of the enlightened drums and musical flutes, were the “collectors” dressed in a fashionable way to match any clowns, comedians or cultural caricatures.

Yes, Guyana was once upon a time, when you would make that annual phone call at “Cable and Wireless” or at someone privileged to have a phone at home, to the loved ones overseas. There were great expectations in waiting for a Christmas card filled with foreign currency to brighten the holiday. Guyanese have now matured from a dependent stage to an independent stage.

Cash grant or no cash grant, Guyana will celebrate Christmas the only way they know and want…. a Guyanese old and customised way, filled with the traditional accents to endorse a culture of doing it “our way.”

Yours respectfully,
Jai Lall

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• Christmas, Guyanese Way, Jai Lall., Letters

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